1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tool pack that has a flexible portion for packing a hand tool at a lower profile. The present invention also relates to a tool pack that has a try-on device to allow customers to try the hand tool.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,785,174 to Chow issued on Jul. 28, 1998 discloses a display pack having a rotatable security member that allows customers to try the hand tool packed in the tool pack. The display pack includes a board with a hole having a toothed inner periphery. The rotatable security member includes a polygonal head and a shank which has a toothed periphery rotatably engaged in the hole of the board. A customer may engage a ratchet tool with the polygonal head and rotate it to achieve the try-on purpose. Clicks are generated when the toothed outer periphery of the shank move across the toothed inner periphery of the hole of the board to attract the customer. However, the toothed outer periphery of the shank and the toothed inner periphery of the hole of the board tend to wear out due to friction and thus fail to provide the required function of generating clicks. In addition, the display pack is not suitable to pack a combination wrench that includes an end at an angle with the other end, as the profile of the tool pack after packing is relatively high and thus takes up a considerable space and is this inconvenient to transport. All existing tool packs are also suffered from this drawback.
In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, a tool pack comprises:
a board including a hole, the board further including an annular toothed portion surrounding the hole;
a sounding plate including a positioning hole, the sounding plate further including an annular toothed portion on a side thereof and surrounding the positioning hole; and
a rotary member having a first end and a second end, the first end of the rotary member being extended through the positioning hole of the sounding plate and the hole of the board to allow simultaneous rotation of the rotary member and the sounding plate relative to the board with the annular toothed portion of the sounding plate meshing with the annular toothed portion of the board, the second end of the rotary member being adapted to be engaged with an end of a tool to rotate therewith;
wherein the sounding plate is turned when the rotary member is turned, and the annular toothed portion of the sounding plate moves across the annular toothed portion of the board to generate clicks.
The board includes a non-rectilinear slot to thereby define a flexible portion including the annular toothed portion of the board, whereby the annular toothed portion of the board is moved slightly away from the annular toothed portion of the sounding plate during rotation of the sounding plate to reduce wear to the annular toothed portion of the board and the annular toothed portion of the sounding plate. In addition, the flexible portion may reduce a profile of a tool packed by the tool pack by means of bending the flexible portion relative to a remaining portion of the board.
The annular toothed portion of the board and the annular toothed portion of the sounding plate consist of a plurality of planar teeth. In an embodiment of the invention, the annular toothed portion of the board is formed on a front side of the board and the sounding plate is mounted to the front side of the board. In another embodiment of the invention, the annular toothed portion of the board is formed on a rear side of the board and the sounding plate is mounted to the rear side of the board. The rotary member comprises a resilient hook with a longitudinal slit. The resilient hook is compressed when passing through the hole of the board and the positioning hole of the sounding plate and then returned to its initial position to thereby provide a positioning effect.
The board may further include a frame for limiting rotation of the tool. The board includes an engaging hole and the frame comprises a first end pivotally connected to the board and a second end releasably engaged with the engaging hole of the board.
In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, a tool pack comprises:
a board including an annular toothed portion; and
a rotary member having a first end and a second end, the first end of the rotary member including an end face with an annular toothed portion, the first end of the rotary member being engaged with the board to allow rotation of the rotary member relative to the board with the annular toothed portion of the rotary member meshing with the annular toothed portion of the board, the second end of the rotary member being adapted to be engaged with an end of a tool to rotate therewith;
wherein when the rotary member is turned, the annular toothed portion of the rotary member moves across the annular toothed portion of the board to generate clicks.
The annular toothed portion of the board and the annular toothed portion of the rotary member consist of a plurality of planar teeth. In an embodiment of the invention, the board includes a hole and the annular toothed portion of the board surrounds the hole, and the first end of the rotary member is rotatably engaged in the hole of the board. In another embodiment of the invention, the board includes a peg and the annular toothed portion of the board surrounds the peg, and the first end of the rotary member is rotatably engaged in the peg of the board.
The present invention also provides a tool pack comprising a board having a non-rectilinear slot defined therein to thereby form a flexible portion. The flexible portion is flexible relative to a remaining portion of the board and engageable with an angled tool that includes a first end and a second end at an angle with the first end. One of the first end and the second end of the angled tool is engaged with the flexible portion and a profile of the angled tool can be reduced by means of bending the flexible portion such that the angled tool can be packed at a reduced profile.